A Middle-earth TV show?

[Incanus]

Anyone heard about this yet? Apparently Amazon is going to start producing a Game of Thrones-like TV series set in Middle-earth. This will NOT be based on any of Tolkien’s writing, but will take place before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, as I understand it.

For myself, I’m not sure what to think, but I’m skeptical. I’m a great fan of the books, but didn’t care at all for the Hobbit movies. Somehow, I’m expecting it to be sort of like all those Hobbit movie subplots that were used to pad out that story.

Anyway, what do you all think?

 

[Gryphos]

Honestly, I can't imagine it being particularly good. Partly since, because of legal rights and the stingy Tolkien estate, they won't be able to use any of the Silmarillion stuff. Then the question becomes, can the show writers really come up with stuff that can fit believably within Middle Earth? I dunno.

Also, if they're not filming it in New Zealand then what's the goddamn point?

 

[CupofJoe]

The chances that I'll ever see this is minute [I haven't seen much of GoT] so I don't really care. Okay I do care, it could ruin the chances of more filmic stories being made [Tom Bombadil, ahem].
Lets face it the Middle Earth is a huge canvas to play with. You could probably set half a dozen TV shows in it and not have them bump into each other too much [Borderguards of the Woodland realm, Pirates of Umbar, Dwarves in exile, Minas Tirith Politics, Dúnedain in the wild, Life in a Goblin horde, Something dark in Hobbitland, the Knights of Lebennin, Laketown traders... just off the top of my head]
Avoid following JRRT's writing too closely can only make the show better.
Stay a little away and no one can complain that the stories don't follow the source material... Cut out their favourite bit [Seriously, why has no-one made a Tom Bombadil film!?!?!?!?] or got it very wrong [Dwarves and Elves falling in love? Really?].
It has to FEEL right not be accurate...
As for if they can be good stories... If they are shelling out $200m for the rights then I don't think this is a shoestring production. It all depends on who they pick to write and show-run.

 

[Peregrine]

Why having a TV series based around Hobbits timeframe, its going to suck hard, Hobbit movies have already been made, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TELL, THAT HASN'T BEEN ALREADY TOLD IN THE HOBBIT MOVIES? and honestly I am sick and tired of stories where hobbit is a protagonist and I always hated the goofy hobbit race.

Why don't you focus on the first and the second age? There are plenty of stories before the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings such as Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, Siege of Gondolin, Fall of Numenor, War of the Last Alliance and Morgoth, I would really like to see Morgoth instead of Sauron, and other characters such as Feanor, Gothmog, Glaurung, Melian...

Fight for your frickin' movie rights on the Silmarilion from these Tolkienite douchebags who for some stupid reason don't allow making Silmarilion movies.

But as far as I know there is no copyright infringement on the stories from second age including War of the Last Alliance, amirite?

 

[Steerpike]

But as far as I know there is no copyright infringement on the stories from second age including War of the Last Alliance, amirite?

I don’t know. What’s your reasoning?

 

[Brithel]

Honestly, I can't imagine it being particularly good. Partly since, because of legal rights and the stingy Tolkien estate, they won't be able to use any of the Silmarillion stuff. Then the question becomes, can the show writers really come up with stuff that can fit believably within Middle Earth? I dunno.

Also, if they're not filming it in New Zealand then what's the goddamn point?

Well Christopher Tolkien has now stepped down as head of the Tolkien Estate, so we can't say what works they have the rights to. I expect they'll stick to young Aragorn though, like the end of the accursed Hobbit trilogy hinted at.

 

[Incanus]

At some point I'll probably watch at least one or two episodes, just 'cause my curiosity will get the better of me.

I'm half expecting to learn something about it at some point that could be a big turn-off. Like when I heard they were making The Hobbit into three films. I knew at that moment that the thing was sure to stink, and as far as my own opinions go, I turned out to be right.

There's always the off chance that they actually do something worthwhile, but won't hold my breath. I still hope that someday, someone will re-adapt Lord of the Rings in some format or other, and make it less cheesy. One can dream...

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

I'm excessively suspicious of adaptations of any kind. I don't think i'll touch this :/

 

[Incanus]

I'm excessively suspicious of adaptations of any kind. I don't think i'll touch this :/

In this case, I don't think there's anything of Tolkien's being adapted. It may be too early to say, but it appears it will be fresh-written stories that are set in Middle-earth, pre LOTR.

In my view, there have been great adaptions and terrible adaptions through the years, and everything in between. I could never dismiss them entirely because that would heavily limit the amount of good things to watch.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

In this case, I don't think there's anything of Tolkien's being adapted. It may be too early to say, but it appears it will be fresh-written stories that are set in Middle-earth, pre LOTR.

In my view, there have been great adaptions and terrible adaptions through the years, and everything in between. I could never dismiss them entirely because that would heavily limit the amount of good things to watch.

I don't even watch things very often, so that might be the explanation.

 

[Peregrine]

Amazon wants its piece of cake, but I think they are on wrong path since they will always be in the shadow of Hobbit and LOTR movies.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

I will fall back to my answer to so many things involving story questions... it can work if it’s done well. In this case, however, failure is set up to be spectacular. I would give it a chance on the basis of story telling... if it’s good it’s good. The Hobbit movies destroyed any high expectaions I might’ve had for further Middle Earth stuff. The (old) Middle Earth RPG (from Iron Crown) did a great job of digging into ME mythology, so it could be done well again, but if it looks like Pirates of the Hobbiribean, I won’t last long.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

I couldn't stand the movie adaptation of the Hobbit. Lotr was okay though.

 

[Steerpike]

I liked the LOTR movies pretty well. Could take or leave The Hobbit movies, which I haven't re-watched since the initial viewing. I've seen the LOTR movies multiple times.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

LOTR got a bit crazy but remained fun, the Hobbit movies were shrug and forget them... not sure I saw all of them, except background as my daughter watched them, LOL. I understood most of the changes to LoTR’s screenplays to feed the audience and story changing mediums, but the Hobbit... it kind of rubbed me in the direction of the Lone Ranger, although not quite as irritating.

 

[Black Dragon]

The latest news is that the Lord of the Rings TV show will (allegedly) focus on the adventures of a young Aragorn. It also appears that it will be filmed in New Zealand. Thoughts?

 

[Devor]

I'm excited to give it a try. There's a lot of potential for a show like this, and even if it's not brilliant it helps to bring high-fantasy into the mainstream of live action television.

I've tried a LOTR living card game that's roughly set in the same time period, and it showed that finding storylines in this period won't be hard. Saruman in particular could be a fun character to play with during this time. Some fan theories suggest he was attempting to build his own ring of power, so watching his scheming could be a lot of fun.

I'm particularly curious as to how they might develop some of the eastern regions that allied with Mordor. Handling the possible racial implications makes a tricky challenge for them in today's climate, and I'm hoping they tackle it head on instead of hide from it.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Well, if nothing else New Zealand is always beautiful, heh heh. I’m always game, but Jackson’s Hobbit debacle kind of put me of doing more Middle Earth. As Devor said, more mainstream the better, and no lack of story lines. The old Middle Earth roleplaying had some great stuff back in the day.

 

[CupofJoe]

The trouble of having characters we already know, is that we know their destiny. For me that means there will never be any real jeopardy. You know young Aragorn will triumph and survive even if faced with the Hordes of Moria alone. Unless they kill of Aragorn in the first show and change Middle Earth's future forever, the entire show could feel like an extended flashback for the LOTR books and/or films.
If they go completely stand alone [and ignore the existing material except the countryside] then why call your young rugged yet hansom lead "Aragorn"? Call them Harry and let us care if they live or die. It might be pushing fans too far to make Aragorn anything but white hetrosexual male but I'd like to see how they deal with diversity in all its forms in the new work.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Jeopardy is over-rated, and certainly in this instance there’d be characters we don’t know, and any one could be a red-shirt. How many main characters in tv shows are actually in jeopardy? Damned near zero. That doesn’t keep people from watching.